(NewsInsights.org) – The Taliban has been around since the mid-1990s, and it’s known for perpetrating a reign of terror on its people and carrying out terrorist attacks on others. While it was knocked temporarily out of rule in Afghanistan in the early 2000s, it took over again when the US evacuated its troops from the region in 2021. Now, its reclusive leader has issued a warning to Afghans.
On Monday, Hibatulla Akhundzada, the Supreme Leader of Afghanistan, issued a sermon marking the festival of Ed al-Adha, and in it, he warned the people of Afghanistan. He noted his unhappiness about the differences between Taliban officials and citizens and wanted nothing more than brotherhood among Muslims.
Specifically, Akhundzada said Muslims “were created to worship Allah and not to earn money or gain worldly honor.” He further elaborated that these things create “disunity,” which “reaches the enemy,” who then “takes advantage of it.” Akhunzada also had a word for Taliban officials, telling them to take the advice and entrust religious scholars with authority.
Ahmed Rashid, who has written about the terrorist regime and Afghanistan, said that Akhundzada’s speech was a signal of desperation. Rashid said the leader was calling for unity because he didn’t want to address the country’s real problems. Now, Rashid says the Taliban shouldn’t “be convinced that this was a meaningful speech.”
In the nearly three years since the Taliban gained control back, the country has taken a step backward in time. Women are not allowed out in public without an escort, they cannot work most jobs, and after the age of 11, they are denied an education.
Prior to the Taliban’s rule, societal reforms had women not only succeeding in the country but thriving. Now, the nation is suffering from poor economic development and high unemployment rates. The country is also largely isolated from the rest of the world.
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